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Dr. Tan Chuan Chien

What is Breast Cancer?

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What is breast cancer?

Most cells in our body (including breast tissue) divide and multiply to allow growth and renewal. This division is strictly controlled by our body and cancer occurs when the body loses control of this cell growth, with inaccurate copying of new daughter cells during the process (mutated cells). As more mutation accumulates within a cell, the cell becomes abnormal, eventually gaining the ability to invade and spread into surrounding tissue. Breast cancer begins in the breast but if left untreated, it will grow and invade adjacent tissues and eventually spread to another organ (eg. Lung, bone, brain, liver).

Unfortunately, breast cancer is not uncommon. About 1 in 12-14 Singaporean women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

Women who experience any changes in their breasts should see a doctor for further assessment. Symptoms of breast cancer include:

  • Lump in the breast
  • Skin changes on the breast (rash, wound, ulcers, redness, indentation) including around the nipple
  • Skin itchiness around the nipple
  • Nipple retraction
  • Bleeding or discharge from the nipple

How is breast cancer treated?

Because of advancement in medical research, breast cancer is now a treatable disease. It may involve multiple modalities including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted systemic therapy, immunotherapy and hormonal therapy.

For most breast cancers, your specialist will recommend surgery. There are generally two basic methods to remove the cancer – removal of just the lump (Lumpectomy) or removal of the entire breast (Mastectomy). For patients undergoing mastectomy, there is also the option to build a new breast after the mastectomy (Breast Reconstruction).

It is important for each patient to understand their own needs and expectations when balancing the decision between both options. . In general, from the perspective of cancer recurrence (the chance of the cancer coming back), having a lumpectomy (with Whole Breast radiotherapy (WBRT)) carries similar risks (chance) to a mastectomy. The decision to keep or remove the entire breast is a very personal decision. Your breast cancer specialist should look at the type, size and location of the tumor to better assist and advise you.
DR. TAN CHUAN CHIEN

Key Guiding Philosophies

Competency

Dr. Tan is a Fellowship-trained Breast & Endocrine Surgeon who is registered on the Specialist Register (General Surgery) in both Singapore and Australia. He completed his formal Breast Surgery training through the BreastSurgANZ Fellowship Programme. He was previously Head, Division of Breast & Endocrine Surgery, NTFGH where he was the pioneer breast surgeon there developing a comprehensive, evidence-based Breast Surgery service.

Care for the wider community

Dr. Tan is passionate about engaging the wider community with regards to breast cancer outcomes. He volunteers with the Singapore Cancer Society and served as the Chairman of the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign Committee from 2018 to 2021. He continues to currently serve as a member of this committee. During his time in the public hospital, Dr. Tan was involved in research on breast cancer screening and care, where he succeeded in obtaining competitive grants and managing a research team, with the overall aim to improve breast cancer outcomes in Singapore.

Patient-centered care

Dr. Tan believes in the importance of the patient experience and the partnership between doctor and patients in healing sickness. He also believes no two individuals are the same. He believes in the philosophy of personalised tailor-made care plans for each of his patients to meet their individual expectations and needs.

Comprehensive Breast, Thyroid and General Surgery service

Dr. Tan aims to provide comprehensive, evidence-based care to all his patients, in a modern equipped clinic along the entire spectrum of the patient journey from diagnosis, through treatment/surgery and aftercare.

FAQ/ Questions to ask your Breast cancer specialist

Is my breast cancer curable?

Breast cancer is a very treatable disease especially in the early stages. Cancer doctors measure success of cancer treatment by a guide known as “ 5 year survival”. The “5 year survival” guide gives you the percentage of patients with the same stage and type of cancer who are still alive after a duration of time (5 years). Though it does not tell you how long you will live, it can help you to understand how likely it is that your treatment will be successful. It is also important to keep in mind that these numbers are estimates derived from a large number of people who had the same condition, and should not be used to predict a conclusion for each individual case.

Nevertheless, with treatment, the 5 year survival of localized cancer (when cancer has not spread outside the breast) is 99%.

Why did my specialist recommend removal of the entire breast (mastectomy) rather than a lumpectomy?

Breast cancer surgeons may recommend removal of the entire breast (mastectomy) for the following reasons:

  • Your cancer is too big compared to your breast size, hence complete removal of the cancer will result in too large a deformity and you will not be satisfied with the appearance of your breast after surgery.
  • There are multiple (more than one) focuses of cancer located far apart.
  • You have other health conditions that prevent you from having radiotherapy.

For most cases, it will still be possible for the surgeon to rebuild a new breast (reconstruction) after the mastectomy.

What does my doctor mean by the stage of my breast cancer?

Stage refers to how widespread or advanced the breast cancer has spread from the breast tissue to other parts of the body. The stage of breast cancer helps your specialist determine the treatment recommendations. There are 5 stages of breast cancer starting from stage 0 to stage 4.

Who should I see for my breast cancer treatment?

As breast cancer treatment may involve multiple therapies such as surgery, chemotherapy/targeted therapy/immunotherapy and radiotherapy, it is usually treated by a team of doctors specializing in different parts of the treatment. These specialists may include your Breast cancer surgeon, Medical Oncologist (specialist in chemotherapy) and Radiation Oncologist (specialist in radiotherapy).

It is important to ensure you are comfortable with your breast cancer specialist and their recommended treatment options. . It is also important to ensure your specialist has the right expertise, training and experience. For example, it may be wise to choose a specialist that specializes in treating breast cancer rather than one that treats many kinds of cancer. Most specialist goes through a period of general training for their specialist qualification eg. General Surgeon. However, breast cancer surgeons tend to undergo further formal training in breast cancer surgery that is often endorsed by professional bodies (eg, SSO in the United States, ESSO/BRESO in Europe, BreastSurgANZ in Australia/New Zealand, HMDP programs in Singapore). It is also important to ensure your specialist has the appropriate experience beyond their training, by looking at where and how long they have worked as a Breast cancer specialist.

As a supporter of personalised surgical care, I understand that no two patients are the same. I believe in tailoring management for each patient to meet each individual’s needs and expectations. A patient’s journey can be difficult and frustrating at times, so I strive to make this experience as pleasant and seamless as possible.

Dr. Tan Chuan Chien
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Dr. Tan Chuan Chien

Consultant General Surgeon Breast & Thyroid Surgery
  • Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)- The University of Adelaide, Australia
  • Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS)
  • Full Registration, Singapore Medical Council (SMC) and Specialist Accreditation Board, Singapore (General Surgery)
  • Full General & Specialist Registration (General Surgery), Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
  • Completed Breast Surgery training through the BreastSurgANZ Fellowship programme
  • Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore (FAMS)

Dr. Tan Chuan Chien is a Fellowship-trained Breast and Endocrine Surgeon practicing as a Consultant General Surgeon at Gleneagles Hospital, Singapore. He also sees patients at Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre and Parkway East Medical Centre. Dr. Tan is a registered Specialist Surgeon (General Surgery) in both Singapore and Australia.

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Modern Facilities

We are equipped with modern and updated equipment, and a team that will take care of all your needs.

Accredited Specialist

Dr. Tan is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS). He is also accredited to practice as a Specialist in both Singapore and Australia.

Focused After Care

Dr. Tan firmly believes that transdisciplinary care is the key to every patient’s recovery journey.

Video-consultation for overseas patients

Dr Tan is available via video-consultations for patients who are not in Singapore.

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    SOG - CC Tan Breast, Thyroid & General Surgery

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    SOG - CC Tan Breast, Thyroid & General Surgery
    (Mount Elizabeth Novena)

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    MAIN CLINIC

    SOG - CC Tan Breast, Thyroid & General Surgery

    OTHER PRACTICE LOCATIONS

    SOG - CC Tan Breast, Thyroid & General Surgery
    (Mount Elizabeth Novena)

    SOG - CC Tan Breast, Thyroid & General Surgery
    (Parkway East)